


For Freedom and Love

by darktensh17



Category: Dragon Age
Genre: Activism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-13
Updated: 2013-01-06
Packaged: 2017-11-21 00:37:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/591462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darktensh17/pseuds/darktensh17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The leader of Kirkwall Association for Mage Rights falls head over heels in love with a tattooed elf. Modern Day Kirkwall AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the kink meme. [For the following request](http://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/8469.html?thread=32529685)

For Anders it was love at first sight. It had to be, what else could describe the feel of his heart speeding up, his cheeks flushing, and his cock rising, other than love, and maybe a little lust. Unfortunately for Anders it would take quite some time for the object of his affections, one sexy tattooed elf named Fenris to even look at him without anything other than anger and annoyance. Anders was patient and stubborn, really stubborn, if nothing else. Fenris would eventually by his.

Anders was not only the head of the Kirkwall Association for Mage Rights; he was also its creator and most active member. His second in command were Garrett and Bethany Hawke, a brother and sister who often dragged Bethany’s twin brother Carver to all of the rallies, even though all he did was sulk. 

The Kirkwall Association for Mage Rights functioned out of a glum corner of Darktown that Anders also used as a free clinic where patients could come to him for healing without any questions asked or payments demanded. Donations however were more than welcome. Both the clinic and the Association ran almost exclusively on donations, most of which came from the Hawke family. It was a good thing that Garrett’s and Bethany’s mother Leandra was very supportive of her children and of mage rights; on top of two of her children being mages, her husband had also been a mage. 

Of course the Kirkwall Association for Mage Rights, or Karma as Anders liked to call it, even though it wasn’t a proper acronym, Anders didn’t care he liked it, it sounded Zen like, or something like that. In any case Karma wasn’t the only activist group around; the other popular freedom movement in Kirkwall was the Elvhen Equality Movement, which had recently voted in a new leader, one that Anders had yet to see. He had liked the old leader Marethari, sometimes she and Anders held meetings together to discuss their strategies about how to go about getting the word out, usually it involved smoking a Dalish herb Marethari used to relax and make her thoughts run free. One of the reasons they got along so well was that Marethari was also a mage, as was her second in command Merill, who while cute and peppy was a little too hyper for Anders. 

There was also the Templars, a group of mage haters that banded together to keep mages from gaining any rights in Kirkwall and throughout Thedas. They were an underground organization; one that everyone knew was the right arm of the Chantry. It was no secret they existed but no one ever knew who was a member. Rumour had it that some of the nobles and members of the Viscount’s court, though there wasn’t any actual proof to support these rumours. What was known, particularly to the mages, was that it was not safe for a mage to through Kirkwall after dark alone. More often than not mages were found branded, beaten, and in the worse case scenario found dead. 

One of the goals of Karma was not only to keep mages safe but also to discover the identities Templars and bring them to justice. Anders was adamant that the crimes committed by the Templars would not go unpunished. Sometimes when he talked about this goal the other members of Karma told him he almost became someone else, not that Anders believed them. Some of them said that he even went too far when it came to what he would do to take the Templars down; nothing would stand in the way of justice. 

Currently though Karma was focused on planning their outings for the summer months. There were two big events that had been planned for the summer the big pow wow that was held on the Wounded Coast where mage and elvhen groups from all over the Free Marches would meet. While it was a fairly serious event, the heads of each of the groups would meet to discuss strategies and how things were progressing. The other big even, held on the Sundermount, was more of an elvhen event but Anders and some of his closest friends from Karma were usually invited to go, on account of how close he was to Marethari. It usually proved to be pretty interesting, which was why only adults were allowed to go, he was thinking of brining Bethany and Carver now that they were both eighteen, Garrett seemed to enjoy it greatly.

While things weren’t perfect in Kirkwall, there was a lot to be done in regards to mage rights, Anders was pretty happy over all with all the progress that was being made. His biggest opponent Meredith was doing everything she could to stop Anders from succeeding but Anders wasn’t afraid of her, though rumour had it she was the leaders of the Templars. He wasn’t about to give up though, as the head of the Kirkwall Association for Mage Rights it was his duty to make sure mages in Kirkwall, and eventually everywhere in Thedas, had the same freedom as everyone else.


	2. Chapter 2

“What do you mean Marethari’s stepped down as your head?” Anders said staring at Merrill in shock. “How long ago did she retire?”

Merrill blinked at him, perhaps a little shocked at Anders’ outburst. “She retired almost a month ago. She says she wants to concentrate on the clan rather than all the politics involved with the movement. She’ll still be there at the meetings, and she still wants you to come to Sundermount next month, but she doesn’t want to be right in the thick of things.” 

Sitting to her right Bethany nodded in understanding. “She deserves to rest, she’d done so much for your people, and for mages too. She is a legend even amongst the mages.”

“And she’s quite the character to.” Garrett added, “Do you remember when she told First Enchanter Orsino to shove his staff up his ass when he tried to tell her elvhen mages would never gain the same equality as human ones? The look on his face was priceless!” 

Carver just grunted at that. “It wasn’t exactly the proper way to speak to someone in a position of authority, especially the one person who may be capable of helping both causes.”

“Yeah right, Orsino is too worried about his position and mooning over Meredith to really bother with helping the little people.” Anders did not like First Enchanter Orsino, he’d spoken to the man on several occasions and none of the conversations had left him with anything but a rotten impression of the man. Sure he wasn’t a bad guy but he had no interest in helping either the mage or elvhen causes, he thought it was best that things stay as they were. If kidnapping mage children at a young age was fine then Anders was a Templar’s best friend. “So Merrill does this mean you’re the head of the party now? You were Marethari’s First.” 

Shaking her head Merrill looked more relieved than anything, “No, I’m still the First, Marethari appointed someone else as head. A lot of us were worried at her choice but he’s been really good to us so far. He’s already organized demonstrations in every part of the city from the docks to High Town! Can you believe it?”

“What!? And Guard-Captain Aveline has no issues with it?” Anders cried incredulously, he was always having issues with Aveline and her men, she wasn’t cruel or anything but she didn’t tolerate anyone disrupting the peace. The only time he was allowed to organize protests without getting into any trouble was when Garrett went to talk to Aveline before hand, Aveline was a good friend of the Hawke’s and would likely do anything for them. It didn’t always go over well though.

Merrill nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes, Fenris is good friends with Aveline and Donnic, they often go to his mansion in High Town.” 

More disbelief, “He has a mansion in High Town and is friends with Aveline? Are you sure he’s an elf?”

“That’s hardly fair Anders, Aveline has nothing against elves or mages; she just doesn’t tolerate trouble makers, which to be fair you are a rather large one.” Bethany told him admonishingly. 

He didn’t particularly like being spoken to like a child but Bethany was right, Aveline was very fair when it came to Anders and Karma, more than once Anders should have been thrown in jail for things he’d done but he only got off with a warning. Still it wasn’t fair that this new guy already had Aveline in his pocket! “Do we even know anything about this Fenris?” What a stupid name, little wolf, what was he a rabid dog?

“We know quite a bit about him actually!” Merrill said cheerfully, did that girl have any other mood than happy? Then again it was probably why Carver had such a big crush on her, not that she seemed to notice. “He came here from Tevinter two years ago; he says he used to be a body guard for one of the magisters! Isn’t that exciting?! He lives in a mansion in High Town, it used to belong to the magister, he’s really, really good at fighting, he’s really passionate about elvhen rights, and hmmm oh! He has the prettiest tattoos all over.” 

“That’s. . . interesting Merril,” and not very informative at all. “I guess I’ll just have to meet him at the next rally, when is it scheduled for?”

“Tomorrow! We’re going to be in front of the Chantry! Fenris has a friend there who is learning to become a priest, so he got permission for a small peaceful demonstration there. We’re only going to have about a dozen of us there. But it will be meaningful, and it’s going to be a hunger strike!” 

A hunger strike, how ballsy, though Anders wasn’t sure how useful it would be, unless he had elves who were key members in the households of the nobility, and if that was his plan he was very crafty. “Then we’ll join you, Garrett, Bethany, Carver and I will be there on behalf of Karma.” 

Merrill clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh it will be so much fun! We can sit in a circle and sing songs! It will be my two heritages coming together! Oh I’m so excited!” 

They began to discuss what they would need to bring and do to prepare. It wasn’t going to be a big protest but Anders wanted to make a point especially when it was going to be in front of someone as important to Kirkwall as Grand Cleric Elthina, she had the ear of both the Viscount and Knight-Captain Meredith. While this was a pretty big deal Anders mind wasn’t completely on the planning, he was wondering just exactly what this Fenris was going to be like.


	3. Chapter 3

When they got to the area in front of the Chantry where the small group of elves was gathered they could hear someone speaking to the gathered group. The voice was deep, tinged with a faint accent Anders couldn’t quite place, the sound of it made him think of melting dark chocolate and made Anders go weak in the knees. If the voice wasn’t enough on its own listening to the words that were being spoken lead Anders to think that the speaker was also quite intelligent. 

“Why do the humans seek to subjugate us? Until we determine the reason we can never be free. Truly I believe that they no longer know themselves so we must hypothesize as to what could be a reason.” As they made their way closer to where the group was gathered they were better able to hear the speaker. “Do they fear us? Once the elvhen were the rulers of Thedas but were attacked, enslaved by humans. Is it history that makes them think of us as less than them? Merely a habit, a thought process ingrained from centuries of having us as their slaves and servants?”

Anders wished he could see above the crowd, even though most of those gathered were elves they were still too far back to properly see anything. “Perhaps we are too different than them and they cannot accept us. But if this is so then why then do dwarves get treated much better. We are not weaker than humans; we are not less intelligent or less deserving.” The speaker paused and it seemed as if everyone held in their breaths in anticipation of what he would say next. “Perhaps it is not that humans have kept us down but that we ourselves have never risen up.”

The words caused many of the elves gathered to murmur to each other in shock, some even expressed outrage at the words, yelling things at the speaker. Anders couldn’t quite see the speaker yet, they were still in the back of the crowd, but he could almost sense that the man wasn’t at all surprised by their reaction. 

“I know that these are not the words you wish to hear, after all is that not what we are here to do? We are gathered here to show the world that we are better than the lots we have in life and that we will no longer be treated like dirt. But let me ask you, how many of us support this cause? In Tevinter there is no rebellion, our people are treated worse than dogs in many cases, but they accept it.” Anders felt his heart clench there was sadness in that voice, the voice he realized must belong to the man Merrill had been telling them about. 

Fenris continued speaking, seeming determined to make his point despite the denial that seemed to be coming from the crowd. “Even here there are so few of us trying to make a change. Do I believe that a change can be made, yes. Do I believe it can be made by just a few, once again yes. I do not believe however that a change can be sustained if there is no will to sustain it. And so if anything is to be taken from today, the day that we stand before the greatest symbol in Thedas let it be this, we are not afraid of change and to bring about that change we must plant a seed in the heart of every person in Thedas that change can happen and through our will and determination, a will and determination that we will try and instil in all those around us, change can be made and it can become a permanent solution.” 

That seemed to be the last of the speech; there were both cheers and jeers from the crowd. Many of the humans that had gathered to watch began to disperse while the elves that were remaining for the hunger strike were getting comfortable in the area that had been allotted for the protest. By the time everyone was settled there seemed to be only a dozen or so elves left. It made Anders think about what Fenris had been talking about, was apathy the greatest enemy of any cause? It was something he certainly wished to speak to Fenris about.

“Let’s go!” Merrill said brightly beside him, she had been talking to Bethany about how dynamic of a speaker Fenris was but it seemed that the conversation was now over. “You want to meet Fenris right?”

Garrett spoke before Anders could say anything. “I certainly do, with a voice like that who wouldn’t want to meet him! I was practically swooning.” 

“That’s disgusting Garrett.” Carver made a face, looking for all the world like he’d just eaten something nasty. “Why do you have to say something like that?

Not one to turn down a chance to tease his brother, Garrett looked over at his younger brother with a shit eating grin. “Because dear Carver, I have a sex drive and a very healthy sex life.” 

Carver for his part was fairly traumatized. “Agh! I don’t want to hear it at all! You’re disgusting.” On Carver’s other side Bethany just giggled and chose not to make any comments. 

“As lovely as this is to tease Carver, and it really is one of my favourite things, we did come here for a reason.” Anders liked to think of himself as the voice of reason, or to be honest he liked to pretend he was the voice of reason, when he was in fact as much as a trouble maker as Garrett. 

Merrill clapped her hands excitedly and grabbed Anders arm. “He’ll be sitting on the steps, Sebastian may be there talking to him but don’t worry he’ll be happy to meet you!” It was obvious that Merril was delighted to be introducing Anders to Fenris, and Anders hoped that the man was a sexy as his voice was. 

As they moved through the crowd, Anders kept peering up above the heads of those still milling around to see if he could see Fenris. Given that he wasn’t certain exactly what he was looking for he couldn’t really determine anything.

“Fenris!” Merrill called as they broke through the group of people. She waved enthusiastically as a white haired elf looked in their direction. As they got close Anders could see that he was well built but had the thin body of an elf, even though he seemed to be taller than most of the other elves. There were white tattoos covering him and he had the most intense green eyes ever. When they were finally standing before him, Anders felt a humming in his blood, though he couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Fenris this is Anders, he’s the leader of the Kirkwall Association for Mage rights, Anders this is Fenris our new leader.”

Anders held out a hand to the elf. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Fenris, Marethari and I worked together quite often, I hope we can so the same.” He was not at all prepared for the look of distain that Fenris was giving him.

“You’re a mage?”


	4. Chapter 4

“A mage hater! You didn’t tell me he was a mage hater!” After the disastrous meeting with Fenris, Anders couldn’t help but be incredibly worked up, angry even. It wasn’t fair that anyone so gorgeous could be unavailable to him. Plus how could Fenris be all for elvhen rights but not mage rights!? Subjugation was subjugation no matter who or what you were. 

The looks Fenris had given him had said more than the elf’s words ever could Anders had stomped off from the meeting feeling irritated and cheated, and not just because of that handsome man that had come out of the Chantry to talk to Fenris soon after Anders had started walking away. How could he work with someone who hated mages? The again from the way things had gone it didn’t really matter, it didn’t seem that Fenris wanted to work with him at all. If it hadn’t been for Merrill insisting that they needed to work together, she was part of both groups after all, he would have said to hell with the elves.

“I’m sorry Anders, Fenris is. . .well he didn’t exactly have very good experiences with mages.” Merrill’s voice was soft and sad as she spoke, it made it so hard for Anders to be mad at her for the catastrophic meeting. “He didn’t tell me too much because I’m a mage myself but I did learn that the tattoos that he has are made of lyrium and that it was a mage who put them there. Though I suppose put is too kind of a word, from what I understood the patterns were carved into his flesh and then the lyirum was packed into the open wounds.”

“Wait, wait.” Garret said suddenly. “Lyrium? But that would kill a man!” To say that Garret was making an understatement was of course an understatement in itself, as mages they all knew the dangers of lyrium and lyrium overdose, how Fenris had survived having it packed into his skin was unimaginable. 

Merrill nodded in agreement. “It should have but instead it wiped away all of his memories and was apparently beyond excruciatingly painful. He didn’t really want to go into much detail; he became very angry when he told us what little he did. He only told myself and Marethari, and I am only telling you so that you may better understand why he hates mages. He really is a good person; he’s just been hurt very, very badly.” Her voice had taken on a pleading note as though she was trying to make them see what ever it was that she saw in Fenris with just her words alone.

Anders couldn’t really think enough to reply, his mind reeling in shock at the revelation. He knew that there were bad mages just like there were good mages, it was a universal truth. This though, this was horrifying. That someone could do something so cruel to someone else was disgusting. Anders had seen and heard of bad things done, the Templars being the best example, but this was cruelty with no validation, not that he thought the validation that the Templars offered was justified. Anders wanted to go and find Fenris and pull him into his arms and sooth away all the hate, the fear, and especially the pain and to just make things right. He knew it wasn’t that easy though.

“What happened to the man that would dare do such a thing?” Oh look at that, apparently he could find words, words that were dripping with anger in fact.

“I don’t know. Fenris said he fled Tevinter three years after the ritual that gave him the markings happened. He didn’t say what happened to the Tevinter magister that did it. I think he said the man’s name was Danarius.” Anders filled that name away for later, if he ever heard saw the man he’d be sure to kill him for Fenris. 

Merrill’s sad sigh brought him back to the topic at hand and away from dreams of murder and then sweet rewarded sex with Fenris. “Elves aren’t treated very well in Tevinter but according to Fenris they don’t seem to try to do very much to change that. When he came to Kirkwall he ended up coming to one of our rally’s and decided to join us. He used to talk to Marethari all the time about his ideas on what could be done to make things better for us. He’s just so passionate!” 

“He was certainly that!” Bethany hadn’t spoken much since they’d come back from the meeting, most of the time she would be offering her input in on things that interested her, unlike Carver who just liked to complain about everything. “That speech he gave was really interesting and so unorthodox. I can see the point that he was trying to make though. Change can only start with those who want change, if you don’t fight for that change then how can you expect things to get better?”

“He had good points that apply to both elves and mages,” And such sexy voice to deliver those points. Anders was torn on what to do, he wanted to hate Fenris but he also wanted to throw him down on a bed and have his wicked way with him. It was such a conundrum. 

Carver didn’t offer any suggestions at all and Garrett seemed to have lost interest as he doodled women with big boobs in a note book. Sometimes Anders couldn’t believe that the four of them plus himself made up Karma’s leadership; it was just as likely that they’d end up at a picnic instead of getting freedom for mages. 

He was snapped out of his musings when Merrill said his name. “Huh? Sorry I didn’t hear that.”

“I should say you weren’t. Anyway we have our hunger strike tomorrow in front of the Hanged Man yes?” At Anders nod Merrill continued. “Well I was thinking of inviting Fenris and then maybe you and he could go to dinner after and discuss strategies and all that. It would be no different than when you used to meet up with Marethari and I. Well except that I won’t be there. It would be just the two of you, having dinner, alone.” Bless Merrill’s heart and probably Bethany’s two, those two were always looking out for him, just like his very own magical guardian angels. 

Before Anders could say how much he was one hundred percent for the idea Bethany added. “Of course we’ll be close, just in case you need anything. I remember your last dinner dat- meeting it didn’t go well.” 

“You mean the one with the sexy ship captain that had just got back to port?” Garrett asked a goofy smile coming to his face. He and Isabela had really hit it off afterward they got together every time Isabela was in Kirkwall. Anders wasn’t too upset about it, he’d already tapped that as the saying weant.

Carver, slow as ever, took a moment to clue in to who they were talking about. “Ew! The whore that threw him down on the table and tried to have her way with him right there!? That was not the kind of show I expected when you guys said it would be dinner and a show at the restaurant.”

“I thought she was very nice, though I don’t know how she lost her pants.” Merrill was entirely too clueless sometimes; the answer was of course that Isabela didn’t wear pants. “Well I’m pretty sure Fenris won’t throw Anders down on the table like that.”

The sad part was that unlike with Isabela, Anders wanted Fenris to throw him down on the table and have his wicked way with him. He couldn’t help but sigh as the others continued to plot, why couldn’t things ever just go his way?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to its_in_the_water for allowing me to include her Sushi Qun in this chapter. You should go and read her hilarious fic [Sushi-Qun](http://archiveofourown.org/works/495286/chapters/866888)

Anders was nervous. No wait, nervous was the mild version of what Anders was feeling at the moment. Terrified and excited beyond belief was a better description but it was a mouth full. A new word was necessary to describe how Anders was feeling at that moment; terrinervacited. Yes, perfect.

Why was Anders so terrinervacited? Because he was waiting for Fenris to arrive at the restaurant they were going to be dinning at Sushi Qun. It was the nicest place that Anders could afford, though they apparently had a very strict set of behaviour and dress guidelines. Anders had worn is best set of robes and his black feathered coat for the occasion. Carver said it made him look like he’d murdered a murder of crows for it. Carver liked to think he was oh so clever when he learned new things. Bethany had told him he’d looked nice and Garrett asked him if he was going to smother Fenris in the feathers. 

Anders decided it was time for him to get some new friends. 

For now something much more important was headed his way and he didn’t look entirely too happy, but he did look lovely. Fenris was shoeless like most elves, wearing a black pair of leggings that left nothing to the imagination, and a black sleeveless vest with white trim. 

“Hello Fenris.” Anders greeted trying not to sound or look too eager. 

“Mage.” Ouch, not even the use of his name. The elf didn’t look happy at all to be there and Anders just prayed that the evening would go civilly if nothing else. Personally he wanted it to be awesome but he wasn’t counting on that. 

“Anders actually.” Maybe Fenris had just forgotten his name, it was possible right?

Fenris merely shrugged the comment off. “What is it you have called me here for?”

Straight to business then. “I thought we could talk about our goals, our two groups have always worked together.” Be smooth. “Marethari and I have always met here to do so.” 

“So Merrill told me, though I do not know if I trust the validity of her statement.” Fenris told him as he walked toward the door. “She is not a very good liar, especially not to me.” Anders wanted to ask Fenris why he was here if he knew it was a lie. “This meeting seemed important to her so I agreed to come.” 

“Yes well, we can do a lot together, work that is.” Anders said with a nervous laugh. “I have all the plans Marethari and I were working on.” 

Fenris turned to look at him, those dark green eyes piercing through Anders soul. “Then let us not delay, I have some of Marethari’s notes but they are incomplete and in some cases illegible, she was not big on keeping records.” 

Anders couldn’t help but grin widely. “Then let’s go, I’ll even pay!”

“You were always going to pay.” Fenris said as he brushed past Anders and into the restaurant. 

Anders probably should have felt put down but he was on a date, well a meeting, with Fenris and nothing was going to kill his good mood.

The restaurant was fairly busy but Anders had made reservations and gotten them his favourite spot by the fish tank. They sat down and one of the waiters brought them their menu. Anders already knew what he was ordering so he spent the time he had studying Fenris. The elf had the oddest look on his face, a look that Anders usually reserved for when he stepped in something less than pleasant in Darktown. 

“Something wrong?” He asked Fenris, sipping at the water the waiter had brought them to drink, Anders was going to order some wine for them to drink but for now it was water. 

Fenris looked up at him with an annoyed glare. “Everything in here has fish in it pfaugh.”

Anders blinked in surprise at that; not only surprised by Fenris’ annoyance and by the sound he had made. “You don’t like fish?” 

“I loath fish.” Fenris told him his obvious hatred for fish certainly coming through in his voice.

Oh. “Oh.” And Anders had taken Fenris to a sushi bar; the cosmos really was working against him. “Well there are things without fish.” He supplied helpfully as he went over to Fenris’ side of the table and pointed some things out on the menu. He was close enough that he could smell Fenris and the elf smelt so good a mixture between lyrium and something that must be Fenris’ natural smell. It was intoxicating. 

Fenris made a sound of annoyance, not quite as interesting as the _pfaugh_ from earlier. “Very well, I will choose something to my taste. Now move away from me.” 

Anders laughed nervously and moved away, returning to his seat. Maybe it was just him but it seemed like Fenris was blushing every so slightly, hopefully it wasn’t just him though because if Fenris was blushing that would mean that maybe there was hope. 

Once they had ordered it was time to get down to business and talk about plans, as much as Anders wished this was a date, they were here for a reason. 

“So plans, we’ve only got a few on the mage side for now the one coming up the soonest is a hunger strike outside of the Chantry, we also have a small protest scheduled for the twentieth in the High Town market, and we’re going to start circling petitions soon in regards to mage rights and then deliver them to the Viscounts office.” 

Fenris had a note book out and was writing things in it, Anders couldn’t see what he was writing but the writing was fairly large and almost childlike in that it looked like it was the writing of someone who had not been writing long. 

“Merrill has planned two outings to the Sundermount in the next month; she has insisted that the second one be open to the mages.” Fenris told him with obvious distaste. “The first will be for us to get back in touch with our roots, or so Merrill has claimed.” He consulted his own notes to write that down. “We are also planning to hold talks with the Chantry and the Viscount, but it is significantly harder for an elf to get in to see the man.”

Anders snapped his finger at that. “No problem! We’ll have our meeting together; three of my main allies are from a prestigious family and we can use that to get in.” 

The look Fenris gave him was a mixture of surprise and something else. “You would be willing to do this for us?”

“Well yeah!” Anders couldn’t help but wonder how bad Fenris’ life was that he was so mistrustful of humans, he only knew what Merrill had told him and that wasn’t all that much. Fenris seemed like such a private person. “I believe that everyone has a right to be free.” 

Fenris ‘hmmed’ in the back of his throat. “Perhaps.” Was all he said in way of reply. 

After that they didn’t talk much because their dinner had arrived. Despite the rocky start, Anders found that the dinner went pretty well and he left feeling happy.


End file.
